The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-26
A FALSE SHAME.
A Boat Load of Very Modest Young
Ladies'
F,,o,,, The New Orleo,,s pico,,,,,,e

Ladies.
From, the Nep Orleans Picdyttne.
1t would be well if young women were
taught early in life that there is false
shame and an affectation of modesty as I'M
lovely as any coarseness, and which disgusts
and repels as effectively as brazenness. To
be on the qui vive for inunendoes, to have a
smart faculty for extracting the bitters of
evil from any good, is all wrong and
all immodest. To see harm where
harm is not intended is immod-
est. The young woman who thought
she would die OF shame because some gen.
tlemen came into the gallery where she was
alone with the statue OF the Venns of Milo,
who fell into confusion and blushed might
ly, advertised modesty that was possibly
only skin deep.
A blush is something sacred to pure wo-
manhood, and it is a sad spectacle for
thoughtful eyes to note young woman so
far gone in the improprieties that she pre-
tends to be shocked at things which simple,
unaffected candor is far from thinking on
at all.
There are otherwise modest and virtuous
young ladies who manage to convey by sub
tie insinuations that they are deeply con-
scious of sounds and scenes which truly
modest woman would ignore. 1t is true in
deed, as great writer has said, that mod
est woman must be at times both deaf and
blind Disagreeable happenings, offensive
to eyes or ears, are at times incidental to
almost every ones life. The most sheltered
young lady cannot be entirely protected.
She may find herself in places where pro-
fame language reaches her ears, where OBJ
jectionable sights greet her eyes. 1t is then
the time for her modesty to take on an ar
NOR of dignity; ii is the time for her to be
both deaf and blind.
When Mrs. James Brown Potter recited
"'Ostler Joe" in Mrs. Secretary Whitney
drawing-room two winters ago, and made
the sensation of her life, she was less inn
modest than the guests who listened. Young
ladies whose scant corsages failed to cover
their shoulder blades put up their fans and
declared they would die of shame, and
could scarcely wait until the piece was ended
to talk it over with the gentlemen and ask
them if it was not ''too horribly immodest
to endure
Nothing is more suggestive of a really
bold and vulgar mind than to blush behind
a fan, peering between the sticks sharply
to see if any one has noticed the blush.
Modes6y, refined feelings and tastes are not
things of which to be proud. One should
not be proud that one is virtuous, or hon
est, or truthful, or benevolent.
1t has often happened at DIR. Chaille's in
valuable lectures on physiology that the
Doctor used some very plain words in adj
dressing his audience Straightway there
would be young women present who gig
gled, who began chewing their handker-
chiefs in an agony of embarrassment, who
made eyes at each other, and also made sure
that the medical students present took note
of what they were doing DIR. Chaille was
at his noble work of trying to teach such
young women to understand the marvellous
human caskets in which are enshrined their
shallow souls, but more than once his earn
estnesS was confronted and overcome by
such silly, sickly demonstration of affec-
ted modesty.
The day for such women, if it ever ex-
listed, has gone by forever. We want our
women to be innocent but not ignorant.
Ignorance is only less unlovely than i'm
modesty.
There are many things in life that young
women ought to know of, and which, If they
did know, they would regard as great sol
emn truths too sacred to be giggled over,
and simpered at, which are not proper sub
iects for conversation, but which none the
less exist, and should be well comprehended.
For young woman, or young man either,
there is no safety in ignorance. The mother
assumes unwarranted responsibility who
leaves her innocent growing girls and boys
to be educated in the mysteries OF life by
unthindng outsiders.
Florence Nightingale was not afflicted by
mock modesty, yet woman OF finer or
deeper virtue never lived.
The pure-minded Sisters of Charity spend
all their days in the Charity hospital, where
they attend wounded men, assist at the
births of babies, fulfill the noble duties of
minitering angels without blushing. 1t is
possible, however, that their pure, pale
faces would crimson indeed if they could see
the manners and hear the words of some OF
our mock-modest young women.
A pitiful case of this mock-modesty occur
red right here at home last week. One after
noon party of young ladies and gentlemen
went out sailing on the lake. Asquall came up
and as they were Fastening in to shore they
were hailed by some gentlemen whose boat
had capsiZed and who, in danger of drown
ing, were clinging for life to its slippery
sides. 1t seems that these young men had
been out for a deep sea bath and were con-
sequently nude. Owing to the storm they
had been in the water for long while and
one of the number was seized with cramps
and his alarmed companions thought he
would die before help came. Now any 10
year-old child who has ever tucked up his
pantalets and gone wading in a creek knows
that person being in the water and seized
with cramps will probably die if not res
cued AS the yacht came up to the dis
tressed bathers they explained their situa-
ton to those on her and begged that the sick
man might be taken aboard and boat be
sent from West End to their own relief. But
the mock-modest young ladies giggled and
blushed, and dare say peeped between the
sticks of their fans, while vowing and de-
claring that they couldn't think of such a
thing They giggled again but did not
think to look the other way and expressed
themselves as Mortified at the bare idea Of
rescuing a nude man from death. They
had no thought for the suffering of the
groamng young fellow down in the water
being upheld by his anxious, dismayed and
exhausted companions. They were too busy
giggling and commenting on the awfully
embarrassing fact that the gentleman who
desired to come on board hadn't his ward
robe with him. No, they would rather he
died than be saved by them inhis nude con-
dition, and finally the yacht, freighted with
enough sham sentiment and mock modesty
TO sink it TO the very bottom in a mile deep
of ocean water, sailed off, compromising be-
tween the prophecies and common hui
mainly by promising to send help from West
End.
1t was not the fault of those young women
whoever they We're, whatever they are, that
the men they abandoned, did pot die before
4. 1,,t &c 41,as.. hnF